Selective registering mechanism



Oct. 3, 1939. w. HANRAHAN ET AL SELECTIVE REGISTERING MECHANISM FiledNov. 21, 1935 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Oct. 3, 1939. w. HANRAHAN ET AL SELECTIVEREGISTERING MECHANISM Filed Nov. 21, 1935 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 2 g: 5/IVVEN7OR6I THE/R firro tun s.

Patented Oct. 3, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Walter Hanrahan,

St. Louis, and Harold J.

Mineah and Ross 0. Shannon, University City, Mo.

Application November 21, 1935, Serial No. 50,852

5 Claims.

Our invention relates to registering pumps for dispensing gasoline andother liquids, particularly to registers of the selective type, that isproviding separate registers for individual attendants dispensingliquids from the pump, these registers being selectively operable sothat there will be a record as to the quantity of liquid dispensed byeach individual attendant.

The invention has for its principal objects to simplify the constructionof such a selective register construction, and to furnish adequatesafeguard insuring proper use of the individual registering devices.Other objects and advantages of the invention will appear hereinafter.

The invention consists principally in mounting on a rotatable disk aplurality of individual, lock controlled registers having gears adaptedto be selectively engaged with a main drive gear rotated by theoperating mechanism for the main register of the pump. The inventionfurther consists in the selective registering device, and in the partsand arrangement of parts hereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, which form part of this specification andwherein like reference numerals refer to like parts wherever they occur,

Figv 1 is a front elevation of the upper portion of a registering pumpprovided with a selective registering device embodying our invention,

Fig. 2 is an enlarged front elevation of the selective registeringdevice,

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2 with the cover of the selectorhousing removed,

Fig. 4 is a vertical central longitudinal section on the line 4-4 inFig. 2,

Fig. 5 is a vertical transverse section on the line 5-5 in Fig. 4,

Fig. 6 is a horizontal central longitudinal section on the line 6-6 inFig. 5 with the exposed lock in unlocked position,

Fig. '7 is a fragmentary section similar to Fig. 6, with the exposedlock in locked position; and

Fig. 8 is a fragmentary vertical section through the side wall of thepump housing showing the lock controlled mechanism for manuallyactuating the switch for the motor that drives the pump mechanism.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, our selective registering deviceis shown as a complete unit adapted for attachment to an existing typeof pump without material alterations thereof; but said device may alsobe incorporated in the pump at the time of manufacture. The gasolinemetering pump shown in the drawings comprises an upright housing Iprovided with a counting dial 2 having a register 3 built thereinproviding a continuous record of all gasoline dispensed by said pump.The pump is also provided with an electric motor driven pump mechanism(not shown) for forcing the liquid through a delivery conduit includinga pipe 4, a gage 5 for visibly indicating the flow of the liquid and ahose 6 terminating in a nozzle I provided with a control valve 8 andadapted to be placed in a suitable supporting hook 9 provided thereforon one side of the pump housing I.

As shown in Fig. 8 of the drawings, the electric motor (not shown) fordriving the pump mechanism is controlled by a switch I0 located in thepump housing I and operated by a horizontal push-and-pull rod II that isslidable endwise through the side wall of the housing I and is providedat its outer end with an operating knob I2 adapted to be forced inwardlyby the hose nozzle 1 when the latter is placed on its supporting hook 9.The connection between the rod II and the switch I 0 controlled therebycomprises a bent lever I3 pivotally mounted in the pump housing I withone arm operatively connected to said rod to be actuated thereby andwith the other arm connected by a link I I with the actuating arm I 5 ofsaid switch. With this arrangement, when the rod II is pulled outwardly,the bent lever I3 is swung upwardly and closes the switch II] to startthe pumping operation, and when the rod is pushed inwardly, as byplacing the hose nozzle I on its supporting hook 9, the bent lever isswung downwardly and thus opens the switch and stops the pumpingoperation. The type of metering pump thus far described is well knownand it is considered unnecessary to illustrate it in detail.

In accordance with the present invention, the above metering pump isprovided just below the counting dial 2 with a device having a pluralityof selectively operable registers for individual attendants dispensingliquids from the pump, so that there will be a record as to the quantityof liquid dispensed by each individual attendant. Said selectiveregistering device comprises a hollow cylindrical casing or housing Aconsisting of a circular base plate I6 and a removable cover II. Thebase plate I6 is provided with a central threaded boss I8 and with asecond threaded boss I9, which extend through holes provided therefor inthe front wall of the pump housing I, and are provided with nuts Illaand I9a, respectively, that firmly hold said base plate in position.

Located in the selector housing or casing for rotation about the axisthereof is a rotor B com prising front and rear circular plates or disks20 and 2I, respectively, that are secured together in proper spacedrelation by means of flanges 22 that are struck from openings in thefront plate 20 and have their ends removably secured by screws 23 to therear plate 2|. The rotor B is supported for rotary and axially slidingmovement in the selector casing A by a central stud 24 on the front faceof the base plate I6 of said casing and by a forwardly projecting axialstud 25 that is fixed to the front plate 20 of said rotor and isrotatably supported in an axial hole provided therefor in the cover I"!of said casing. The stud 25 projects forwardly beyond the front face ofthe housing A and has a knob 26 rigidly secured thereto for rotating andaxially sliding the rotor B in said housing. The rotor B is yieldablyheld with its front plate 20 in engagement with the front cover I! ofthe housing B by means of a coil spring 2'! which surrounds the stud 24between the base plate it of the rotor housing and the rear plate 2| ofthe rotor.

Mounted on the front face of the rear plate of the rotor B is aplurality of annularly spaced selectively operable registering devices23, each provided with a shaft 29 disposed radially of the rotor axisand provided at its inner end with a bevel gear 36 adapted to beselectively meshed with a bevel drive gear 3! fixed to the forward endof a shaft 32 journaled in the base plate I5 of the selector housing Aeccentric to the rotor axis. The eccentric shaft 32 is rotated by aflexible cable 33 suitably connected to and driven by the main registermechanism 3 of the pump. As shown in Fig. 5, the mounting of the maindrive gear 3i eccentric to the axis of rotation of the rotor B enablesthe bevel gears 30 of the respective registering devices 23 to beselectively engaged with said main drive gear by rotating said rotor.The rotor B is provided with a plurality of locks 34 mounted on thefront face of the rear plate 2i of the rotor beyond the outer end ofeach individual metering device 28. Each lock 36 has a barrel portion 35extending forwardly from the rear plate 2! of the rotor through anopening in the front plate 20 thereof and is provided at its front endwith an opening 36 for receiving a key for actuating the bolt 31 of saidlock. The bolt 3'! of each lock is slidable radially of the rotor axisand, in the normal or locked position of the lock, is disposed with itsinner end over a slot 38 in the rear plate 29 of the rotor, while, inthe unlocked position of said lock, the inner end of said bolt clearssaid slot and its outer end overlaps a peripheral flange 39 on the frontface of the base plate it; in the housing A. The front face of thehousing A of the selector is provided with an opening ift adapted toreceive the barrel 35 of any one of the locks 3 so that access may behad to the keyhole 36 thereof; and circular recesses M are provided inthe inner face of the cover ll of said housing to provide seats for theforward ends of the barrels of the remaining locks. The front plate 20of the rotor B is provided opposite each register 28 with an opening20a; and the cover i! of the housing A is provided adjacent to the lockbarrel receiving opening 40 with a sight opening ila through which theoperating register may be observed.

As shown in Figs. 6, 7 and 8, the mechanism for actuating the switch Illthat controls the pump operating motor is operatively connected to theselector device so as to permit operation of the pump only when one ofthe locks 34 is exposed and unlocked. As shown in the drawing, thisconnection preferably comprises a flexible rod 5-2 connected at one endto the push-and-pull rod ll of the manual operable switch actuatingmechanism and passing through a suitable conduit 13 which is suitablyfastened to the boss i9 on the rear plate Iii of the selector housing A.The rod 12 extends beyond the conduit 43 through an axial opening 44extending through the boss i9 and base plate [6 and terminates in aplunger 45 slidable in said opening and adapted to enter a slot 38formed in the rear plate 2! of the rotor B adjacent to each look whenthat particular look is positioned with its barrel in the opening 40 inthe front face of the housing A.

The operation of the hereinbefore described selective registering pumpis as follows: Assuming that the number of attendants dispensing liquidfrom the pump corresponds with the number of registers carried by therotor B, a separate register is assigned to each attendant who isprovided with a key for the lock associated with this particularregister. When one of the attendants desires to operate the pump, therotor B is pressed inwardly by means of the knob 28 to free the barrels35 of the locks from the opening 48 and recesses M in the cover I! ofthe rotor housing A and the rotor then rotated to bring opposite theopening 40 the barrel of the lock associated with the register assignedto that attendant, whereupon the knob 26 is released and the lock barrelforced outwardly by the coil spring 21 into said opening. In thisposition of the rotor, the selected register can be observed through thesight opening i'la in the rotor housing and the gear 3k) of saidregister is brought into operative engagement with the eccentricallydisposed main drive gear El so as to be driven thereby. The attendantthen inserts his key in the exposed lock and moves the bolt 3'! thereofclear of the slot 33 in the rear plate 2| of the rotor. The attendantthen removes the hose nozzle I from its supporting hook 9 and pullsoutwardly on the rod H far enough to close the motor switch ill and thusstart the operation of the pump, the complete closing movement of saidswitch being permitted by the movement of the plunger 15 through theslot 38 uncovered by the bolt 3? of the lock in the unlocked positionthereof.

The pump is stopped in the usual manner by placing the hose nozzle 1 onits supporting hook and thus forcing the rod H inwardly so as to openthe switch l6. This inward movement of the rod also withdraws theplunger 45 from the slot 38 in the rear plate 2! of the rotor so as notto again interfere with the rotation thereof.

After the switch H] has been opened, the withdrawal of the plunger 55from its position opposite the inner end of the bolt 37 of the lockpermits said bolt to slide inwardly clear of the flange 39 of the rotorand across the opening 38 from which the plunger has been withdrawn bythe operation of opening said switch. Preferably the lock will be of aspring type so as to return the bolt automatically to locked position.In this position of the parts, the rotor may be pushed inwardly androtated on its axis to dispose the desired lock in the opening til.

In the unlocked position of the lock the outer end of the bolt 3?thereof overlaps the front face of the peripheral flange 39 of the rearplate iii of the rotor and thus prevents the rotor from being movedinwardly far enough to free the lock barrels from the recesses ll andopening 4i which movement is necessary to permit rotation of the rotor.The front plate 2!] of the rotor closes the opening ill in the rotorhousing when the lock barrels are out of register therewith and thusprevents tampering with the mechanism inside said housing; while thebolt of an exposed and unlocked lock extends across the peripheralflange 39 of the rear plate iii of the rotor and thus prevents the rotorfrom being pushed inwardly to disengage the gear 30 of the selectedregister from the main gear 3|. If, in the locked position of the lock,the rotor is pushed inwardly far enough to disengage the gear 30 of theselected register from the main drive gear 3|, the lock cannot beunlocked to start the pump, because of the annular flange 39 whichconstitutes an abutment that prevents unlocking movement of the lockbolt.

Obviously, the hereinbefore described arrangement admits of considerablemodification without departing from the invention. Therefore, we do notwish to be limited to the precise arrangement shown and described.

What we claim is:

1. A device of the kind described comprising a stationary housing, arotor mounted in said housing for rotary and axial sliding movementtherein, said rotor being provided with a portion extending exteriorlyof said housing for rotating and axially sliding said rotor therein, adrive shaft extending into said housing eccentric to the rotor axis andhaving an inwardly facing drive gearon its inner end, a plurality ofregistering devices on said rotor, each having a gear said gears beingconcentric with the axis of said rotor and adapted to be selectivelyengaged with said drive gear by rotary and axial movement of said rotor,and locks on said rotor each in proximity to one of said registeringdevices, said housing being provided in its outer end with an openingadapted to receive and expose the key receiving portion of any one ofsaid locks and prevent rotation of said rotor, each of said locks beingadapted when exposed and unlocked to prevent inward axial movement ofsaid rotor.

2. A device of the kind described comprising a stationary housing, arotor mounted in said housing for rotary and axial sliding movementtherein, said rotor being provided with a portion extending exteriorlyof said housing for rotating and axially sliding said rotor therein, adrive shaft extending into said housing eccentric to the rotor axis andhaving an inwardly facing drive gear on its inner end, a plurality ofregistering devices on said rotor, each having a gear said gears beingconcentric with the axis of said rotor and adapted to be selectivelyengaged with said drive gear by rotary and axial movement of said rotor,locks on said rotor associated with the respective registering devices,said housing being provided in its outer end with an opening adapted toreceive the key receiving portion of any one of said locks and recessesadapted to receive the key receiving portions of the remaining looks, aspring interposed between said rotor and the inner end of said housingfor yieldably holding said locks in said opening and recesses, and meanson said housing cooperating with the exposed lock to prevent inwardmovement of said rotor when said lock is unlocked,

3. A device of the kind described comprising a stationary housing, arotor mounted in said housing for rotary and axial sliding movementtherein, said rotor being provided with a portion extending exteriorlyof said housing for rotating and axially sliding said rotor therein, adrive shaft extending into said housing eccentric to the rotor axis andhaving an inwardly facing drive gear on its inner end, a plurality ofregistering devices on said rotor, each having a gear said gears beingconcentric with the axis of said rotor and adapted to be selectivelyengaged with said drive gear by rotary and axial movement of said rotor,locks on said rotor associated with the respective registering devices,said housing being provided in its outer end with an opening adapted toreceive the key receiving portion of any one of said locks and recessesadapted to receive the key receiving portions of the remaining looks, aspring interposed between said rotor and the inner end of said housingfor yieldably holding said locks in said opening and recesses, and meanson said housing arranged to prevent unlocking of the exposed lock exceptwhen said rotor is in its outermost position.

4. A device of the kind described comprising a stationary housing, arotor mounted in said housing for rotary and axial sliding movementtherein, said rotor being provided with a portion extending exteriorlyof said housing for rotating and axially sliding said rotor therein, adrive shaft extending into said housing eccentric to the rotor axis andhaving an inwardly facing drive gear on its inner end, a plurality ofregistering devices on said rotor, each having a gear said gears beingconcentric with the axis of said rotor and adapted to be selectivelyengaged with said drive gear by rotary and axial movement of said rotor,locks on said rotor associated with the respective registering devices,said housing being provided in its outer end with an opening adapted toreceive the key receiving portion of any one of said locks and recessesadapted to receive the key receiving portions of the remaining locks, aspring interposed between said rotor and the inner end of said housingfor yieldably holding said locks in said opening and recesses, and meanson said housing arranged to prevent unlocking of the exposed lock exceptwhen said rotor is in its outermost position, said means alsocooperating with said lock to prevent inward movement of said rotor whensaid lock is unlocked.

5. A device of the kind described comprising a stationary housing, arotor mounted in said housing for rotary and axial sliding movementtherein, said rotor being provided with a portion extending exteriorlyof said housing for rotating and axially sliding said rotor therein, adrive shaft extending into said housing eccentric to the rotor axis andhaving an inwardly facing drive gear on its inner end, a plurality ofregistering devices on said rotor, each having a gear said gears beingconcentric with the axis of said rotor and adapted to be selectivelyengaged with said drive gear by rotary and axial sliding movement ofsaid rotor, locks on said rotor, one adjacent to each of saidregistering devices, a plunger slidably mounted in said housing, saidrotor having a plurality of openings therein, one adjacent each lockand. adapted when in register with said plunger to slidably receive thesame, said housing being provided in its outer end with an openingadapted to receive and expose the key receiving portion of any one ofsaid locks and recesses adapted to receive the key receiving portions ofthe remaining locks, and a spring interposed between said rotor and theinner end of said housing for yieldably holding said locks in saidopening and recesses, the exposed lock in the locked position thereofcooperating with said plunger to limit the sliding movement thereof inone direction, said exposed lock in the unlocked position thereofpreventing inward movement of said rotor.

WALTER HANRAHAN. HAROLD J. MINEAI-I. ROSS C. SHANNON.

